Trini Lopez, singer and The Dirty Dozen actor, dies of COVID-19 at 83
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Trini Lopez, the singer and actor known for his rendition of "If I Had a Hammer" and his role in The Dirty Dozen, died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19 in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 83.
Filmmaker P. David Ebersole, who recently finished shooting a documentary on Lopez with Todd Hughes, confirmed Lopez's death to the Associated Press.
Music was Lopez's first love. His debut album, Trini Lopez at PJ's, was released in 1963 and featured his hit version of "If I Had a Hammer," which peaked at No. 3 in the United States and sold more than 1 million copies. Other chart-topping songs from Lopez include "Lemon Tree," "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy," and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl."
Lopez made his acting debut via a cameo in a nightclub scene in 1965's Marriage on the Rocks, starring Frank Sinatra and Deborah Kerr. He followed it up two years later as part of the ensemble cast of The Dirty Dozen, opposite Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas.
He also dabbled in television, with appearances on Adam-12 and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.
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